The Messenger of Arndt’s Church - July/August 2018

Arndt's Lutheran Church1851 Arndt Road, Easton, PA 18040

610-253-3732Email: arndts.lutheranchurch@rcn.com

Website: www.arndtslutheran.org

Summer Worship Services (5/27/218 thru 9/2/18): Saturdays, 6:00 p.m. (1st & 3rd Saturdays)Sundays, 9:30 a.m.

Activities During July and August

"Christmas in July" Collection for Meals on Wheels of Northampton CountyOnce again, we will participate in this program that collects gifts for Meals on Wheels clients at Christmas. This year we have volunteered to collect s ingle, wrapped rolls of paper towels. There will be a box in the narthex for you to place your donations.

Outdoor Worship - Sunday, July 15thWorship service will be held outdoors in the pavilion on Sunday, July 15th (weather permitting). Chairs will be set up but you may bring your own lawn chairs to use.

Composter Training Workshop - Sunday, July 15thA training session will be held on Sunday, July 15th, immediately following worship, for those members who are interested in being part of the congregation composting group. People should attend if they areactive in the church kitchen (preparing meals, etc.) or are part of a group using the church that uses the kitchen. The composter will be used to recycle food scraps that would normally be thrown into the garbage and turn them back into nutrient-rich soil for gardens. The session will be about 45 minutes.

Brunch, Bocce & Brats - Sunday, July 22Following our Sunday morning worship service, we will gather for brunch and a few rounds of bocce. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex. All are welcome.

Women's Monthly Lunch Bunch - Friday, July 27th On Friday, July 27th, the Lunch Bunch will drive to Shawnee Playhouse to see "Footloose". To car pool, meet at the church by 12:00 noon. After the show, we will enjoy an early dinner together at the nearby HotelMinisink, which is reasonably priced. To reserve your spot, send $27 for the show to Janet Herr by July 13th.

Easton Area Community Center Summer Nights Program - Everybody's Birthday - Monday, August 6thOnce again, Arndt's will partner with First Moravian Church to sponsor "Everybody's Birthday Night" at theEaston Area Community Center Summer Nights program. We have applied for a Thrivent Action Team grantto purchase ingredients for the evening meal and the salad bar and are asking members of each congregation to provide cupcakes for the birthday celebration. There will be a sign-up sheet in the narthex if you can donatea dozen cupcakes for Everybody's Birthday Night.

Wednesday, August 22nd - Covered Dish Picnic and Old Fashioned Hymn Sing - 6:00 p.m.We join members from churches in the Mission District for a covered dish picnic and old-fashioned hymn sing in the Arndt's pavilion on Wednesday, August 22nd. Supper will be at 6:00 p.m.--please bring a favorite covered dish--Arndt's is providing the hot dogs and rolls. After supper, we will have an old-fashioned hymn sing. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex.

Sunday, August 26th - Outdoor Service in the Pavilion with Blessing of the Backpacks - 9:30 a.m. followed by "End of Summer" Picnic - 11:00 a.m.

We will have a "Blessing of the Backpacks" during our 9:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, August 26th.Students, both young and old, are asked to bring their school backpack to church to receive a blessing as webegin another school year. Following church, we will enjoy a free, catered, picnic lunch in the pavilion which will include a delicious variety of picnic foods, beverages and desserts. A sign-up sheet will be in the narthex to let us know who will be attending and help us in ordering the food. And yes, there will be games!

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The Pastor's Page

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope summer is going well for you. As we move through the summer months toward the fall, please knowthat the Finance Committee has already begun looking at a budget for 2019. We will be offering a Stewardshipprogram in August. This is not a Stewardship program that is going to be talking about giving each week, but more like one that offers suggestions for how we might increase giving. I know Stewardship is one of those words that leaves a bad taste in our mouths, but it is necessary for us to look toward the future and plan for

next year. The Stewarship program we will be using is entitled Walk with Jesus.Information from the program states that every day is a walk with Jesus. We Christians believe life is spent inthe presence of our Lord. Therefore, we can talk about every day as a day during which we walk with Jesus.Some days we feel Jesus' presence. Some days we feel quite a distance from Jesus. We boldly proclaim that,regardless of how we feel, Jesus is there. Jesus walks with us every day.

As we at Arndt's Lutheran Church consider our financial stewardship over several weeks in August, you will beasked to think about your own use of money and possessions as a part of your walk with Jesus. This is mostappropriate. Because when Jesus walked this earth with his disciples, he often talked about money andpossessions. If money was a part of Jesus' first walk on this earth, it should be a part of our walk with Jesustoday as well.

We believe that everything we have is a trust from God, given to us to care for and manage. What we do withour money is very much a part of our relationship with our Lord. This will be our focus.

Beginning in August and then for three consecutive Sundays, we will have a bulletin insert, hear a talk inworship and will receive a letter. All of these will focus on our walk with Jesus, and how money plays animportant part in this walk.

This is not a giving campaign, per se, but my hope is that we will see it as a plan for how we walk withJesus in the coming year at Arndt's.

Walking with you,

Pastor Jean

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Prayer Calendar - July

All of the members of our church family will be lifted in prayer many times throughout theyear. Members are listed alphabetically. If someone is missed, please contact the secretary inthe church office.

July 01 - Lorraine HammerstoneJuly 02 - Louise HawkJuly 03 - Sandy HaydenJuly 04 - Janet HellerJuly 05 - Logie HellerJuly 06 - Don and Janet HerrJuly 07 - Geoff HillaryJuly 08 - Michael HortonJuly 09 - Nick and Natasha HortonJuly 10 - Ralph and Joanne HortonJuly 11 - Matt and Rachel Hosterman, Heidi and TheodoreJuly 12 - Jon, Tammy and Abigail HrichakJuly 13 - Doug and Pastor Jean HuberJuly 14 - Josh Huber, Jacob and LandonJuly 15- Jim, Sally and Kyle HutnikJuly 16 - Debbie JacobyJuly 17 - Keith and Chris JohnsenJuly 18 - Rosanne and Laurie Kerr-Diaz, Ernest and DevinJuly 19 - Gail and Liam KlecknerJuly 20- Ed and Linda KleppingerJuly 21 - Donald and Donna Koch, Andrew and KaitlynJuly 22 - Austin KocherJuly 23 - Joan, Kevin and Dalton KocherJuly 24 - Logan Kocher and LucasJuly 25 - Stacy and Catherine Kocher, Charlene and KarlJuly 26 - Charles and Jane KohlerJuly 27 - Marla and Joe Kovacs, Zakary, Maci, Kylie and TylerJuly 28 - James, Maria and Brittney KromeJuly 29 - Robert and Vera KromeJuly 30 - Barbara KutzJuly 31 - John and Kirsten Kutza, AJ and Jordan

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Prayer Calendar - August

Aug 01 - Barbara and Brandon LabarAug 02 - Scott, Robin and Zechariah LabarAug 03 - Terry and Sharon LabarAug 04 - Irma LaceyAug 05 - Greg, Sue and Nikole LarosAug 06 - Emily and Paul LeBaron, Paul and ElizaAug 07 - Alice LefebvreAug 08 - Bill and Jeri LeiendeckerAug 09 - David LeiendeckerAug 10 - Lindsay LeiendeckerAug 11 - Eric and Marjorie Leuschner, Zach and JessicaAug 12 - Scott and Donna LewisAug 13 - Barry and Karen Lieberman, Joseph, Ryan, Christine and CassandraAug 14 - Elwood and Constance LiebermanAug 15 - Freda LiebermanAug 16 - Craig and Sue Limeberry, Tyler and BrookeAug 17 - Craig, Jr., Catherine and Craig, III, Limeberry Aug18 - Holly Lingo, Melissa and Mallory HernandezAug 19 - Charlie LucasAug 20 - Patricia LucasAug 21 - Andrew MarkeyAug 22 - Brandon, Cassandra and Colton MazzieAug 23 - David, Kelli and Emmett MazzieAug 24 - Christopher MertzAug 25 - Lynda Miller, Liza and JennaAug 26 - Ralph and Dorothy MillheimAug 27 - Stephanie and John Moll, John and AlisonAug 28 - Shirley MorrisAug 29 - Ken and Karen MullerAug 30 - Jamie NavoneAug 31 - John, Cindy and John Navone

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Arndt's Administrative ItemsInteresting Items from Council

From the June Council Meetings:

! The Audit Committee completed the audit for 2017 and made some recommendations to thecouncil.

! Finance Committee reported that they will be working on the budget for 2019.! During the month of August, we will be using a stewardship resource, "Walk With Jesus". ! Finance Committee will be sending a letter to each member of our congregation regarding the

church financial situation.

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May, 2018 Year to Date (as of May 31, 2018)

Income $16,517.25 Income $62,369.50Expenses $15,228.13 Expenses $66,306.71

$ 1,289.12 ( $ 3,937.21)

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Last Sunday, Second OfferingThe Last Sunday, Second Offering collection for July will be received on Sunday, July 29, 2018, and will benefit Easton Area Community Center. The Last Sunday, Second Offering collection for August will be received on Sunday, August 26, 2018, and will benefit the ELCA Campaign, "Always Being Made New".

Altar Flowers/Altar Food Box/Worship Bulletin SponsorshipsYou may sponsor our weekly, traditional altar flower vases or an altar food box for $35. You may purchase your own $35 worth of food for the food box and bring it in to place on the altar or you may write a check to the church and our volunteers will purchase the food for you. Worship bulletins may be sponsored for $15. All sponsorships include your personal dedication message. Place completed forms in the offering plate or mail them to the church office--forms are on the bulletin boardin the coatroom area.

Thrivent Action Team ReminderThrivent Action Teams - Earn $250 to put towards a ministry project of your choosing. Go to Thrivent.com and search for Action Teams. If you are a Thrivent member, proceed to Action Team Application. If you are not a Thrivent member, become an associate member for $20 and then fill out the Action Team Application. Receiving $250 and doing a great ministry project with friends...what a DEAL!

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Monthly Church Activities

Children's Sunday SchoolSunday School is held on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for children 3 years of age through sixth grade. There is no Sunday School over the summer months.

Open Arms Senior ConnectionOpen Arms meets at the church on Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pick up an Open Arms newsletter in the narthex or ask to be put on our newsletter mailing list and have one delivered to your home.

Arndt's Preschool We are currently registering children for the 2018-2019 school year. If anyone knows of a family member, friend or neighbor looking for a preschool, please refer them to our school.

Arndt's Bible Study Bible study will Meet in July on Wednesday, July 11th and July 25th; and, in August on Wednesday,August 8th and August 29th. Bible Study begins at 7:00 p.m.

Women's Monthly Lunch GatheringsOn Friday, July 27th, the Lunch Bunch will drive to Shawnee Playhouse to see "Footloose". To car pool, meet at the church by 12:00 noon. After the show, we will enjoy an early dinner together at the nearby Hotel Minisink, which is reasonably priced. To reserve your spot, send $27 for the show to Janet Herr by July 13th.

Lunch in August will be on Wednesday, August 15th at The Lodge, Fourth Street in Bethlehem.

Country Line Dance Class - Every Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.A country line dancing class is held on Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. The class is taught by Barbara Ann Willett, a certified dance instructor. Cost is $5 per class. If you have any questions, please contact Barbara at 610-253-7382.

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Worship at Arndt'sSunday, July 1, 2018 - Sixth Sunday After Pentecost - Holy CommunionA woman finds healing by touching Jesus' cloak, and a girl is restored to life when he takes her by the hand. In both casesa boundary is crossed: in Jesus' time the hemorrhaging woman was considered ritually unclean, polluting others by her touch, and anyone who touched a corpse also became unclean. In Mark's gospel Jesus breaks down barriers, from his first meal at a tax collector's house to his last breath on the cross as the temple curtain is torn in two. We dare to touch Jesus in our "uncleanness" and to live as a community that defines no one as an outsider.

Sunday, July 8, 2018 - Seventh Sunday After Pentecost - Service of the WordJesus does great deeds of power and gives his disciples authority over demons. Yet none of this power is unilateral; it all must be received by faith. Jesus asks his disciples to go out without money or supplies, so that they will be dependent on how others receive them. When weare sent from the assembly to witness and to heal, we are asked to be vulnerable, to be dependent on the reception of others. The Spirit always operates in the between: between Jesus and his Abba, between Jesus and us, between you and me, between us and those to whom we are sent.

Sunday, July 15, 2018 - Eighth Sunday After Pentecost - Holy CommunionWhen Amos told what he saw when God held up the plumb line of justice next to Israel--that the poor were being trampled--he was a threat to the power of priests and king. John the Baptist also spoke truth to power, and Herod had him beheaded. In Herod's fear that Jesus is John returned from the dead, we may hear hope for the oppressed: that allthe prophets killed through the ages are alive in Jesus. We are called to witness to justice in company with them.

Sunday, July 22, 2018 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - Service of the WordMark's gospel makes clear how great was the press of the crowd, with its countless needs to be met, on Jesus and hisdisciples. YIet in today's gospel Jesus advises his disciples to get away and rest, to take care of themselves. Sometimes we think that when others are in great need we shouldn't think of ourselves at all; but Jesus also honors the caregivers' need. We are sent from Christ's table to care for others and for ourselves.

Sunday, July 29, 2018 - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - Service of the WordToday Jesus feeds thousands of people with five loaves and two fish. What we have, what we bring to Jesus' table, seems like it is not nearly enough to meet all the needs we see around us. But it is not the adequacy of our supplies or our skillsthat finally makes the difference: it is the power of Jesus working in the littlest and least to transform this world into theworld God desires, a world where all the hungry are satisfied.

Sunday, August 5, 2018 - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - Holy CommunionApparently not satisfied by Jesus' feedingn of thousands, some who were there press him for a sign of his power; perhapsit is daily manna they want. As always in John's gospel when people want a sign, Jesus offers himself. He is the breadcome from heaven to give life to the world. He calls us to come to him and believe in him, and through that relationshipto know the one who sent him.

Sunday, August 12, 2018 - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - Service of the WordJesus says that the bread hs gives for the life of the world is his flesh, and whoever eats this bread has eternal life now and will be raised on the last day. In Ephesians Paul tells us what this life Jesus gives us looks like, this life we live as those marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit in baptism. We live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.The whole purpose of life is giving yourself for the other.

Sunday, August 19, 2018 - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Holy CommunionWisdom prepares a feast, sets her table and invites all to come and eat her bread and drink her wine. The first chapterof John's gospel owes much to the biblical tradition that imagined Wisdom as existing before anything was created andhaving a role in the work of creation. Christ, the wisdom of God today invites us to eat his flesh and drink his blood.John's gospel includes no accouint of the institution of the Lord's supper, but here we can't help hearing Jesus' words asan invitation to the meal of bread and wine we share.

Sunday, August 26, 2018 - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Service of the WordIn today's gospel many people take offense at Jesus' invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood; even many of Jesus'disciples peel off. This is the backdrop in John's gospel for Peter's confession of faith. "To whom can we go?" asks Peter, in words we sometimes sing just before the gospel is read. "You have the words of eternal life." In order to takesuch a stand, as Peter and Joshua did, Paul tells us to arm ourselves with the word of God. We pray in the Spirit that wemight be bold ambassadors of the gospel.

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Fundraising Programs at Arndt's

Gift Card Program from Great Lake ScripsKeep your inventory fully stocked with all of your favorite retailers so you have them on hand when you need them for shopping, dining, home improvement, health & beauty, etc. Contact Carole Brown(484-505-0647), for any questions or to order gift cards. Scrip products are a great way to pay for all of your purchases while earning money for the church at the same time!

RADA CutleryRADA Cutlery products are reasonably priced, well constructed--and made in America! We have many items in stock (please see the poster in the narthex) and there are many other knives and itemsavailable in the RADA catalog. This is a great fundraiser for Arndt's because it is something that everyone can use and it gives the church a return of 40% profit. Contact Joan Kocher at 610-515-0908 for purchasing information.

Community Service and Activities

Safe Harbor Meals Provided by Arndt's

Safe Harbor Dinner - Dates for dinners at Safe Harbor are Thursday, July 26th and Thursday, August 23rd.

Thank you to everyone who participates in this community ministry.

Backpack Project Arndt's continues to collect individual packs of applesauce to support the backpack project. Our goal is to provide the best nutrition that we can, so we ask for the no added sugar applesauce. You may bring your donations to the church and place them in the box marked for the "Backpack Project". Thank you for your support of this project.

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Arndt’s AnnouncementsPlease submit any special information you may want to share with the rest of the congregation to the

"Arndt's Announcements” page of The Messenger.

BaptismsOn Saturday, May 19, 2018, we welcomed Lucas John Kocher, infant son of Logan Kocher and Ami Cuvo, through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Lucas was born on November 13, 2017, in Easton, Pennsylvania. On Saturday, June 16, 2018 we welcomed Grady Burton Varju, infant son of Michael and Jessica Ann(Weaver) Varju, through the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Grady was born on September 18, 2017, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thank you to . . . .The congregation for supporting the Last Sunday, Second Offering in April which benefited Gift of Life.

Boy Scout Troop 29 for the purchase and installation of new garage doors. Arndt's congregation for your overwhelming support of the Mother's Day hanging basket sale. Thanks to you, we sold 86 hanging baskets and earned over $450, in just 3 weekends of sales. This allowed us to make a $50 donation to the church, and buy a new climbing gym for the Preschool playground. Thanks again for your support!

The Arndt's Preschool Board Thank you from . . . .

ProJeCt of Easton, Inc.'s Board of Directors, staff and all the people who benefit from our programs. Thank you for your donation of various food items to the Interfaith Food Pantry. It is only through the generous support of our community that we are able to offer the services we provide to the public through the Interfaith Food Pantry and the ASSIST program at no cost. Your support makes a difference to those in need.

Janice D. Komisor, Executive Director

The Lesher Family. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and expressions of sympathy toour family following my father's (Sam Lesher) passing. Your kindness is truly appreciated.

Sue Wexler

You Are Invited to Attend. . .

A Resource Center Fair at the Lutheran Center, 2354 Grove Road, Allentown, on Saturday, August 11, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Visit the Resource Center to explore the manyresources available to borrow.

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